Sunday, 21 February 2010

Art in Action - with a difference!!

The masterpiece above is surely a worthy contender for the Turnip Prize?!

This one is not quite so stunning but nonetheless an interesting study in form and dimension.

Here is the artist at work. Her vigorous and enthusiastic handling of the materials she uses results in very innovative pieces.

Here she is making a careful final adjustment before sending off a commission to a discerning client.

I've been busy too, with more tile designs. This one has been stamped with Color Box pigment ink onto beige card and embossed twice with ultra thick embossing enamel powder. I then used an automatic machine stitch to fix it to it's texture paper background and to stitch it to the page. I'm not quite sure about the flower shaped copper coloured sequins at each corner, but it seemed to need something to finish it off.

This one is obviously a very early tile!! I like it's ancient, distressed look. I cut this shape from Lutrador with a soldering iron then painted it with texture paste and acrylics, and highlighted it with Distress Ink pads. It was then placed over a piece of painted Bondaweb on rust-dyed cotton and added to the page with machine stitching. To finish, I applied tiny dots of brown Stickles which give a beaded look.

I lightly brushed a rubber stamp with acrylic wax and then stamped it onto painted cotton. Rusting powder was then sprinkled over the waxed area and the excess shaken off. It was then spritzed with white vinegar and left to dry. Two rows of an automatic stitch were worked facing each other and then it was zigzag stitched to the page. There are only two more to do but I haven't decided how to do them yet. I'm having such fun making these 'tiles' - the book will be a record of all the products and techniques that went into them..

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It was such a lovely day today I just had to go for a walk. As I had a small companion with me it made it all the more enjoyable. There was real warmth in the sun, the birds were singing and crocused and snowdrops were popping up everywhere. I saw celandines in the hedges too and couldn't resist taking these shots of textures.

This is a tree stump with lovely crunchy knobbly bits ......................

...............................and here is a weird ivy stem or root which has been cut to stop it damaging the wall.

It's such a pity about the plastic bag in this shot - it was too far back for me to reach it or I would have removed it - but the lichen growing on the tiny twigs looked like crisp vintage lace..

I find it quite bizarre to think that only three days ago we couldn't drive up the road on account of all the snow and ice. It has thawed fast today - this morning about a foot of grass was showing at the bottom of the lawn, this afternoon three quarters of the grass is visible. During my walk it was odd to look at a front garden on my right with a lovely green lawn starred with crocuses, while the front lawn on my left was still covered in snow. It has certainly been a very strange few days.

Glad you enjoyed my bit of nonsense Maggi.It's only easy Pat, when it works first time!! I love celandines but spent some time last year trying to banish them from our lawn. I'd love you to be next door.Thanks Carol - I've a feeling the last two wont take shape quite as readily as the others.

Hi Heather - That is just the tonic for a Monday morning to see an artist like that work!! What brilliant pictures - so funny. It is to be hoped she doesn't get her teeth in your lovely tiles - that would not be amusing at all - do keep them out of temptation's way.

Sweet dog and your tiles are fabulous. We are overrun with celandines in the Spring too, mostly in the lawn. I keep telling myself I should love them for their splash of colour but they still drive me up the wall! ;o)

Oh I just love your artist and his work - definitely worthy of an art grant I think!! Brilliant.

Your tiles are stunning, I can't wait to see the finished project.

I read Weaver's comment and have the same wish!

I love your photos, that knobbly wood definitely looks like an art quilt in the making to me! I love celandines too, but they do spread so. I usually remove some when they've finished flowering, but still have plenty left.

Oh Heather you made me laugh so much...I love your artist dog!!Your tiles are very inspiring...I really need to come and watch you work. I particularly like the techniques you used on the second one.Now I need to go back and see that artist at work one more time....:-)